Congressional race: Doheny drops third party run in bid for GOP unity

GOP primary loser drops third party run, creating unity

By Benjamin Oreskes

Published 9:32 pm, Friday, July 25, 2014

Photo: Dan Little

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Republican candidate for Congress, Matt Doheny, right, talks with President at Saratoga Economic Development Corporation, Dennis Brobston, out of frame right, about the thought process behind developing at the Luther Forest Technology Campus, Thursday Aug. 23, 2012 in Malta, N.Y. (Dan Little/Special to the Times Union) less

Republican candidate for Congress, Matt Doheny, right, talks with President at Saratoga Economic Development Corporation, Dennis Brobston, out of frame right, about the thought process behind developing at the ... more

Photo: Dan Little

Congressional race: Doheny drops third party run in bid for GOP unity

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Albany

Congressional candidate Matt Doheny shut down his third-party run in the 21st Congressional District on Friday, a month after losing to Elise Stefanik in the Republican primary.

Doheny lost the GOP line by 22 percentage points in the June contest, but picked up the Independence Party ballot line in the race to replace Rep. Bill Owens, D-Plattsburgh, who is not seeking re-election.

Doheny made the announcement in Watertown, where he noted, "I'm not Doug Hoffman."

In 2010, Hoffman lost the GOP primary to Doheny but continued to run on the Conservative line.

Hoffman ended up dropping out a month before the general election, but his name remained on the ballot, siphoning votes away from Doheny and allowing Owens to squeak out a slim victory.

Stefanik said that she was grateful for Doheny's decision, which allows the GOP's forces to unite against Democrat Aaron Woolf.

"Matt waged a hard-fought primary, and we respect and appreciate his decision to give Republicans their best opportunity to win back our seat for the North Country," Stefanik said in a statement.

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During the primary, Stefanik and Doheny fought bitterly over over who was the more authentic resident of the sprawling district.